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Boston University PAIRS Program: Partnering Medical Students and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Boston University PAIRS Program: Partnering Medical Students and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. PAIRS Program Origins: The Northwestern “Buddy Program”.

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Boston University PAIRS Program: Partnering Medical Students and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

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  1. Boston University PAIRS Program: Partnering Medical Students and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

  2. PAIRS Program Origins:The Northwestern “Buddy Program” Developed in 1997 to match first-year Northwestern University medical students with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients in the community 10-15 students participate each year The BU PAIRS Program is the first to replicate the “Buddy Program” model and now serves as the replication model for similar programs developing in Arizona and New Hampshire

  3. PAIRS Program Objectives • Educate students about AD and related cognitive impairment • Familiarize students with care and support-related issues encountered by individuals with AD and their families Improve students’ communication skills when interacting with older adults and patients with cognitive impairment Introduce students to research and career opportunities in neurology, geriatrics, and related fields 5. Provide individuals with AD with an opportunity to mentor a medical student and influence their future clinical practice Gabi Merlin, BUSM Class of 2012 PAIRS Program 2008-2009 Class

  4. Student & Buddy Recruitment Student Interviews & Selection Orientation Sessions (2) Match Day Party Monthly Buddy Activity & Activity Journal Monthly Student Luncheons End-of-the-Year Appreciation Luncheon JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY PAIRS Program – Program Model

  5. PAIRS Program – Evaluation Methods Dementia Knowledge Test Students were administered a 33 item pre- and post-program assessment Jefferson, Cantwell, Byerly, & Morhardt, Under Review, JAGS

  6. Dementia Knowledge Assessment *p<0.00001 Jefferson, Cantwell, Byerly, & Morhardt, Under Review, JAGS

  7. PAIRS Program – Evaluation Methods Dementia Knowledge Test Students were administered a 33 item pre- and post-program assessment Reflective Essay At the end of each program year, students are asked to write an essay addressing the following topics: What did you know about AD before beginning PAIRS? What did you learn during the PAIRS Program? How will the PAIRS experience influence your future work as a physician? Jefferson, Cantwell, Byerly, & Morhardt, Under Review, JAGS

  8. Reflective Essay Assessment Essays from first 3 program years (n=33) were qualitatively analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research strategies 12 themes emerged, which are consistent with program objectives: Jefferson, Cantwell, Byerly, & Morhardt, Under Review, JAGS

  9. PAIRS Program – Student Feedback “My buddy forever altered my limited knowledge of Alzheimer’s, and gave it a face and personality in a way that no other experience could have.” – SH, 2008-2009 Program “It’s one thing to study how proteins build up in the brain and affect cognitive functioning, it’s quite another to see how families deal with a fading husband or father.” – NC, 2008-2009 Program Jeremy Kim, BUSM Class of 2013, PAIRS Program 2009-2010 Class “I got a sense of the frustrations associated with being a caretaker and things one has to worry about that I wouldn’t have imagined.” – MG, 2009-2010 Program

  10. PAIRS Program – Student Feedback “I’ve learned so much about AD not just from my buddy but also from my fellow classmates in the PAIRSProgram who shared their experiences and reactions in our monthly meetings.” – RK, 2007-2008 PAIRS Program “PAIRS has allowed me to develop a good bedside manner and to see an individual as a whole person rather than just a patient… It has given me knowledge and experience to be a better physician regardless of the field that I go in to.” – SL, 2009-2010 PAIRS Program Ruju Rai, BUSM Class of 2011, PAIRS Program 2007-2008 Class

  11. PAIRS Program - Family Feedback “We appreciate this opportunity! I feel like we are both getting and giving... It was also useful knowing we were contributing to [our student buddy’s] education.” –CA, buddy’s wife Emily Kidd, BUSM Class of 2013 PAIRS Program 2009-2010 Class “The program opened us up to new opportunities and allowed my husband to share his expertise. I would recommend this group to other diagnosed individuals because it is helpful in the process of change. It is a dynamic program.”–JW, buddy’s wife Melissa Ghulam, BUSM MD/PhD Student PAIRS Program 2009-2010 Class

  12. PAIRS Program - Benefits • Provides an ongoing, first-hand perspective into the patient’s life • Longitudinal element facilitates the development of a meaningful relationship • Enhances communication skills for working with a vulnerable patient population • Humanizes a chronic illness • Offers chance to appreciate firsthand the caregiver burden and care struggles families face on a day-to-day basis • Bridges basic science laboratory experiences, classroom learning, and clinical experiences with a real-world example of an incurable disease

  13. Acknowledgements PAIRS Program 2007-2008 Class PAIRS Program 2008-2009 Class PAIRS Program 2009-2010 Class PAIRS Program 20010-2011 Class

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